The Gift of a Father

For the last several days we’ve been looking at the different names and characteristics of Jesus that are mentioned in Isaiah. He was given to us for a purpose, to restore us in relationship to God the Father. One purpose but it was multi-faceted in execution.

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 ERV

We have looked at Jesus as the Counsellor, Almighty God and the Prince of Peace. This morning we will look at him as the eternal father or as the translation above says, the Father who lives forever.

I lost my dad almost 12 years ago and I miss him! But before he died, we lost him to dementia. I don’t think it was called Alzheimer but all in the same I saw him fade away. He was a wonderful man; tough but loving!

For those of you who are familiar with an older country song, Daddy’s Hands, the lyrics pretty much describe him to a T. I loved going fishing with him, Saturday mornings going to get donuts, dove hunting, watching him play with my children and taking them fishing…. A good man. He loved to sing and I loved to sing with him. One of my final visits home I enjoyed a cherished time; daddy was having a hard time sleeping so I went in and sat on his bed in the dark and sang hymns and choruses to him, sometimes he sang along and others he would just lay there and listen. He slept well those nights, I’m glad!

One of the main things I remember about Christmas was my dad reading the Christmas story each Christmas morning before we opened our presents, that’s why we did the same with our kids and grandkids. Then Daddy would pray and we would open gifts. I only remember 2 or 3 presents I received as a child but I always remember the story and the prayer.

I know not everyone had a relationship with their dad the way I did. I know not everyone can recall such wonderful memories. However, now with him gone, I also am drawn even closer in my relationship with my heavenly Father. He’s always here, I can hear His voice and feel His presence and it makes me glad. He is the Father who lives forever and will never die. My heavenly Father is my strength when I feel weak, my joy when depression would like to take over and my peace in every situation. There’s nothing that I have faced in the past or that will flood my future that He doesn’t know about and He has provided an answer for.

Everlasting Father. Just those two words bring comfort and contentment.

“Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. 15 God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.[a] 16 God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children.” Romans 8:14-16 CEV

[a] “Abba” (meaning “father”), which shows the close relation between the children and their father.

To me the word Abba means daddy.

If you didn’t have a father like mine, you can have the same heavenly Father and His love is so much deeper, so much greater, so much more intimate than what I experienced with my natural Father. If you do or did have a wonderful relationship with your Father, it can bring you such joy to know that you never have to be without that closeness of the heart, the warmth, the acceptance, the unconditional love with your heavenly Father too.